East Jackson’s boys’ basketball team doesn’t look like it will be backing down from any challenges under first-year coach David Akin.

That much is evident from the first game on the schedule. The Eagles take on Atlanta private school power, Pace Academy, which boasts the nation’s no. 3 player, Wendell Carter, according to ESPN.

“If the mentality of this program is to be fearless, is to be relentless, then we can’t schedule teams that don’t coincide with our mission,” said Akin, whose Eagles will play at Pace Academy Saturday.

That fearless mentality has already started to take root in Akin’s players.

Both Miles Addington and Kobe Haley said the goal this year is to beat defending state champion Morgan County and return to the state tournament.

“That’s our biggest goal — state and Morgan County,” Haley said.

“We’re not going to set anything less,” Addington said. “That’s what we want to do, and that’s what really we’re gonna do. I think we can do it.”

Akin, who takes over at East Jackson after two seasons of David Boyd, explains why lofty expectations are essential for his plans with the Eagles.

“We want to have high expectations, and we want to put those on ourselves because it’s the way we’ll improve at the most efficient rate,” said Akin, a former Parkview assistant who has coached at the high school, collegiate and semi-pro levels.

Akin also wants to dispel the notion that only elite Atlanta schools can compete on a state level.

“It’s important to us, the school, the players and the community to make sure we are striving to compete at a state level, and not just have a good season,” he said.

The program Akin inherits isn’t unfamiliar with success.

East Jackson, which won 17 games last year, has reached the state tournament two years in a row and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history a year ago.

But that was accomplished with a roster highlighted by major college prospect Drue Drinnon along with Travis Anderson and Jalen Morgan. All three have since transferred out of the program.

Akin wished all those who left the best but said those departures have bred hunger among the remaining roster.
“People love to doubt things they’re just not familiar with. ‘Oh, all those guys left, there’s no way they can be any good’ … Well, you know what, these kids are hungry,” Akin said.

Haley said the program has a forward-thinking mentality.

“We don’t really care about the past,” he said. “We just focus on now. We’re just ready to play.”

The departures of those scorers will likely mean spreading the ball around more, Addington pointed out.

“Last year, we had a few players that would kind of take over the game and this year all five starters for sure will probably have double digits (in scoring),” he said.

This year’s roster includes Haley, a returning perimeter player whose maturity Akin has praised, and Jace Bonds, who transferred from Oconee County but grew up in the East Jackson district. Like Haley, his experience will be valued.

East Jackson also returns perimeter player Xavier Clark, who Akin calls “as tough as anyone in the state” and a defender not afraid to guard anyone on the floor.

Meanwhile, Addington’s smarts and shooting ability have drawn praise from Akin, who calls the perimeter player “a coach’s dream.”

Akin also points to post player Braeden Lowe, whose character on the floor will be an essential component of the team’s chemistry.

The coach makes a clear distinction about the make-up of his Eagle program as he enters year one.

“Just because you’re talented, doesn’t mean you get to be in the program,” he said. “You’ve got to bring more than just talent to the table to play here at East Jackson.”

As for attaining success with a largely different cast of players from those who did it last year, Akin said the solution is good old-fashioned hard work.

To that end, the team has already been practicing twice a day for its opener with Pace Academy.
“We are not going to be out-worked,” he said.

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